NDP to be ready to govern in two years, Mulcair says

ST. JOHN’S, NL. — The NDP must be primed for an election and ready to form government by 2014, Leader Tom Mulcair told his team Wednesday, noting the “two-year countdown” starts when the Parliamentary session begins later this month.

“It’s the fall of 2012 and we’re heading into this fall session ready to take on a very tough adversary in Ottawa, stand up for the things we’ve always worked so hard for in our political careers — a fairer Canada, a better Canada for everyone,” he said in his opening remarks to caucus during a strategy session in Newfoundland.

“By fall 2014, we have to be completely ready to take on the Conservatives in the next election.”

While the next election isn’t scheduled until October 2015, Mulcair said he’s expedited the timeline for several reasons. For one, Prime Minister Stephen Harper could ignore fixed election date laws and drop the writ early, especially since a number of provinces are poised to head to the polls around the same time.

It’s also important to “get people’s minds concentrated on the fact that these things do move forward quickly and we have to be ready,” he said.

“We have to teach people the fine art of fundraising. How to get money, how to be ready for the next campaign.”

Given the New Democrats’ large crop of new members both inside and outside Quebec — the NDP went from 36 members before the 2011 election to 100 now — Mulcair said the party still has work to do when it comes to “putting down roots” in non-traditional ridings.

Coming up with concrete policies and alternatives to the Conservatives on issues like sustainable development and the economy is another priority, he said, adding this will be key to “making sure Canadians have confidence in our ability to run this complex economy in this very large country.”

He expects budget cuts, namely changes to Employment Insurance benefits for seasonal workers and seniors’ pensions, to dominate Parliamentary discourse this fall. So too will be the “gutting” of Canada’s environmental laws, which Mulcair said, is certain to be a “key theme” for the NDP in the next election.

“I think the debate is getting deeper and deeper and more and more interesting on the type of development we want in our country,” he said.

“We will always be a largely resource-based economy but we lost the balanced economy that we built up since the Second World War.”

Mulcair argued Canada has put “more and more of our eggs in the resource basket” at the expense of good-paying manufacturing jobs which has forced people into “part time precarious work” in the service sector.

“That’s another discussion that’s going to be had as we head into the next campaign and it’s an issue on which the NDP intends to engage the Conservative government,” he said.

The three-day strategy session is a chance for New Democrats to reconvene after the summer months and map out the party’s plan for the fall session.

The closed-door sessions focus on a variety of topics, including building local fundraising networks, community outreach, social media strategies, communications and messaging and youth outreach.

New Democrats are also fanning out across St. John’s and elsewhere in Newfoundland and Labrador this week to host public forums and town hall meetings on issues like the future of public health care, housing, Old Age Security, Employment Insurance, jobs and the environment.

The federal outreach efforts come at a time when the NDP is enjoying a surge in popular support in Newfoundland and Labrador.

New Democrats won a record five seats in last year’s provincial election and a recent Environics poll had the typically third party in first place.

But Wednesday’s session began with a moment of silence and expressions of condolence for the victims of a late-night shooting at the election victory party for Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois in Montreal.

One person was killed and another seriously injured after a man opened fire shortly after Marois’ pro-sovereignty party won a minority in the Quebec election.

New Democrats, however, were coy when asked about the impact of a PQ government on Canadian politics and national unity.

Mulcair said he was prepared to work with whomever Quebecers elected and suggested sovereignty isn’t likely to be an immediate issue.

Given Marois’ “short minority,” her priority, he said, will likely be to “govern the province in the public interest” rather than go for the “brass ring of other big constitutional changes.”

With a record 58 seats in Quebec, New Democrats have become the voice of Quebecers at the federal level.

I cover justice, immigration and public safety issues as part of the Postmedia News politics team. I also keep tabs on what the official Opposition — the NDP — is up to in the House of Commons.
Before... read more coming here I spent several years in Montreal and Toronto with The Canadian Press covering provincial politics and major crime and court stories. I also helped cover the war in Afghanistan from inside and outside the wire.
I previously worked for the Ottawa Sun chasing crime stories and following convicts through the court system.
I love the unpredictability of my job and believe the opportunity to help document history as it unfolds is an awesome privilege that never ceases to give me chills.
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